Fuel Surcharges from Hong Kong Airport

by HKTravelBlog · Published September 7, 2012 · Updated February 9, 2014

In case you weren’t aware, almost all flights departing from HKG are subject to fuel surcharges. These surcharges fluctuate on a monthly basis and can be found on the Civil Aviation Department web site

The fuel surcharges are based on the month that you book, not the month that you fly. The CAD will adjust it basis on prevailing fuel prices and airline demands, but it doesn’t always necessary follow the prices you see at the pump. This can be helpful if you are looking to book tickets later in the month. For example, the September 2012 fuel surcharges were released Aug 24, and surcharges will rise compared with Aug. Therefore, the same ticket will cost less if you book it by Aug 31, compared to Sep 1, all other things staying the same. On a CX long-haul flight example, you’ll save over $10 USD.

Different airlines also have different fuel surcharges, even when flying to the same destination, which makes no sense to me. Honestly I think fuel surcharges should be lumped into the fare price, but that’s another debate altogether.